`Nightmare On Floydville Road' Marks 10th Monsterish Year

EAST GRANBY — Move over Freddie Krueger. This horror show even outshines ``A Nightmare on Elm Street.''

Entering its 10th year, ``The Nightmare on Floydville Road, Part X'' has had more sequels than the endless movie series featuring the blade-fingered slasher with the bad complexion.

This weekend, the East Granby Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Association once again host the annual Halloween haunt to raise money for the departments. The show attracts annually about 2,500 people and not all are local.

``A guy came up to me one year and said, `We're from Long Island,' '' said East Granby Fire Chief Ed Chatey. ``He said he and his friends were held overnight waiting for a flight up here, and decided to stop by to kill time. They've come every year since.''

The nightmare begins Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. at Paine's Recycling and Rubbish Removal, 56 Floydville Road. It continues Saturday night from 6 to 10. Admission is $5. Starring in this scare-fest are about 80 firefighters, ambulance association members and their friends.

``My sister-in-law has been to this one and the one in Hartford,'' said Paine's president Mike Paine. ``She said this one beats the one in Hartford hands down.''

Picture yourself being escorted over a bridge nestled in the woods next to Paine's. While you're crossing, a ghoul is propelled by a wire, yelling and lunging at people as he goes. That's the prime role in the entire haunted house, according to Chatey.

``It's a 200-foot run,'' he said. ``The guys fight over who's going to do it.''

Of course, he's not the only fiend there. There are monsters everywhere, including a dinosaur head that jumps out and roars at unwitting participants. ``It sounds like you're in Jurassic Park,'' Chatey said.

Those fortunate enough to survive the woods try their luck at the haunted house, an abandoned, 11- room dwelling next to Paine's. Inscribed on the house's walls and windows are messages informing the unfortunate victims, ``You die here.''

Gale Fulton hopes to at least scare the participants to death. Fulton and his wife, Kim, await in one of the rooms. She's playing dead. The crowd sees her, but they don't realize she's not alone.

``I'll say, `I don't know what's going on,' and then five people come out from the walls,'' Fulton said.

Other volunteers paint their clothes with handprints, hiding in a pitch-black room painted with flourescent handprints. ``That just screws you up,'' Chatey said. ``You don't know where you're going.''

Volunteers began preparing for this year's haunted house in August. Chatey said he hopes to raise between $10,000 and $20,000.

The haunted house is not recommended for younger children, Chatey said.